Fabric slitting apparatus



Degre.' 1952 J..M. voLPl FABRIC SLITTING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 25. 1949 Dec. 3G, 1952 J. M. voLPl FABRIC SLITTING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 25. 1949 IN V EN TOR. Iqa,

cfbse aus?? Patented Dec. 30, `1952 FABRIC SLITTIN G APPARATUS Joseph M. Volpi, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application January 25, 1949, Serial No. 72,727

A (Cl. 164-39) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to fabric slitting apparatus, and has reference, more particularly, to apparatus for producing ribbons from piece goods, and especially from piece goods woven from threads, filaments or yarns of synthetic materials.

The invention has for an object to provide improved apparatus for cutting piece goods into ribbons of desired width, said apparatus including novel goods cutting or slitting instrumentalities and means for passing the goods therethrough.

The invention has for another object to provide novel cutting or slitting instrumentalities for the stated purp-oses comprising a hard surfaced roll to support the goods to be cut or slit and a novel construction of knife provided with a detachable cutting blade having its cutting edge tangent to and bearing against the surface of said supporting roll, means being provided for causing the cutting knife to bear against the goods supporting roll surface under suitably regulated tension.

The invention has for .a further object to provide novel cutting instrumentalities for the stated purposes including a heated cutting knife especially adapted for use in slitting piece goods woven from threads, filaments or yarns of synthetic material into ribbons, which heated cutting knife not only slits the goods but, at the same time, fuses together the cut ends of the filaments at the margins of the produced ribbons so as to provide the latter with non-raveling and non-fraying selvage edges.

Other objects of the invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accomp-anying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of fabric cuttting or slitting apparatus m-ade according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken on line 2--2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cutting instrumentality o-f the apparatus, drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of said cutting instrumentality, viewed from the right in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig-s. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views similar to that of Fig. 5 but showing modied forms of the cutting instrumentality.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of piece goods in process of being slit into ribbons, and indicating the fused selvage edges with which the ribbons are provided when cut with the heated knife.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the fabric vcutting or slitting apparatus of this invention includes a suitably supported roll Ii), which is preferably made from a suitable metal, at least the peripheral surface of which is hardened so as to resist scoring by the cutting or slitting knives of the lapparatus with which said roll IU cooperates. The roll Iii serves to back the fabric F which is caused to traverse the same, subject to the cutting or slitting action of said knives. The roll Ii) preferably rotates at a peripheral speed substantially corresponding to the linear speed at which the fabric F is caused to move over the same.

The novel cutting or slitting knives of the apparatus are mounted adjacent to the roll I0 so as to bear against its periphery, and are -adjustably supported upon a transverse bolster or bridge bar II which is disposed beneath said roll I0.

Each knife comprises a carrier plate l2 which is indented at its lower portion by a downwardly open notch or yoke socket I3 adapted to receive the bolster or bridge bar I I, to which said carrier plate is releasably secured by a set or lock screw I4 with which the latter is provided. When thus mounted on the bolster or bridge bar I I, the carrier plate I2 upstands therefrom in a vertical plane transversely perpendicular to the axis of the roll Ill.

Pivo-tally connected with said carrier plate I2, for upswinging movement therefrom, is ya knife member I5. To guide the pivoted knife member for swinging movement in the vertical plane of the carrier plate I2, the latter is provided in its top with a longitudinally extending, upwardly open channel IE. The knife member I5 is provided at its bottom with a dependent longitudinally extending rib or ange I'I which is receivable in said channel I6 of the carrier plate I2. The rearward end of the knife member I5 is pivoted to the carrier plate I2 by a pivoting pin I8 which extends transversely through the side walls of the channel IB of the latter so as to pass through the rib or flange Il of the former. Extending longitudinally outward from the lower forward end portion of the knife member I5 is a rigid lever arm I9. Threaded downwardly through the lever arm I9 is an adjustable thrust screw 20, which is adapte-d to be secured in axial-i` ly/adjusted relation to said lever arm by a lock nut 2I. The forward end portion of the carrier plate I2 is provided with a perpendicular bore 22 in the upper end portion of which is slidably mounted a plunger 23. Said plunger 23 is adapted to thrust against the thrust screw 2li. The plunger 23 is upwardly urged by a compression spring 24 which is housed in the bore 22 below said plunger, and which is backed by a screw-plug 25 threaded :into the lower end of said bore 22. It will be obvious that the spring actuated plunger 23 exerts, through the thrust screw 20 and lever arm I9, an upward thrust upon the outer free end of the knife member I5, whereby to move the same into cooperative engagement with the surface of the roll I for cutting or slitting effect Vupon fabric F which is caused vto traverse .the latter.

In a simple form of knife member I5, which may be made of steel or other metal of suitable hardness, the top thereof is beveled to provide an acutely sharpened cutting edge 26 integral therewith (see Fig. 6).

In another form, and one deemed to be preferable, the knife member I is provided with a separable cutting blade. An illustrative form of separable cutting blade and means for detachably securing -the same in opera-tive assembled relation to the'body of the knife member i5 comprises (as shown in Figs. 3 to 5 more particularly) a separate cutting blade 2l. This cutting blade 2l vis preferably made of tungsten carbide vsteel to assure long vlife and efficiency. Said cutting blade v2l is provided at its rearward end wi-th a projecting anchor lug 28 disposed in alignment with the `base of its body, and said blade is further provided at its forward end with an indenting locking notch 2g. Provided in the top of the body of the knife member i5 is a longitudinal seating channel 3G for reception of the cutting blade 2; said seating channel being of less depth than the height of the blade, whereby the sharpened cutting edge of the latter projects freely from the top of ythe knife member I5 for cooperative engagement with the surface of the fabric supporting roll It. The cutting blade 2l is firmly attached to the knife member I5, for operative assembly with the latter. To `this end, the rearward anchor lug 28 of the blade is engaged beneath a cross-pin 3l which is aflixed to the knife member body so as to `bridge across the blade seating channel 30 of the latter. The locking notch 29- at the forward end of the cutting blade is engaged and held by the angular tang of a coupling clip 32 which is detachably fixed to the forward end of the knife member body .by means of a fastening screw 33.

The apparatus of this invention includes means for moving a fabric F over the supporting or cutting roll ID subject to the cutting or slitting action Vof one or more of the novel knife vmembers above described. The means for so moving the fabric F ,is subject to more or less variation in form and arrangement, but an illustrative and preferred form thereof comprises (as shown in Fig. 1) traction means for .drawing the 4fabric F between ythe cutting roll I and the Ycutting or slitting knife member or members which cooperate therewith. Said traction means includes a pair of 'suitably vdriven transverse 'traction rollers 34-35 which are disposed in horizontal, parallelly spaced apart relation beyond the cutting roll Ill. The peripheries of said'traction rollers Sil-35 are faced with relatively soft and non-abrasive material 36, `such e. g. as felt, whereby to frictionally engage ythe fabric F so as to impart linear draft or movement thereto, but without risk of abrading or imparting undue distortional stresses to said fabric. Mounted above and intermediate said traction rollers Sii-35, so as to be subject to gravitational movement toward the same, is a weighty steel roller 3l, which, by its weight, func-tions to hold the fabric F in frictional contact with the faced peripheries of the rollers Sil-35 subject to the draft effect thereof.

The fabric F, to be drawn through the cutting or slitting instrumentalities, is supplied from a supply roll 38 which is mounted on a carrier shaft 39 adapted to be rotatably supported b y .suitable bearings lili. Suitably positioned transe verse guide bars 4I and :l2 are provided between the supply roll 33 and the cutting roll I0. Intermediate these guide bars 4I and 42 is arranged means for maintaining Athe fabric under tension whereby to assure tautn'ess thereof .as it moves `to and over the cutting roll. An illustrative forrn of such tensioning means `comprises a frame '43 which is rotatively adjustable :about the axis of its journaling ltrunnions dii. Said frame vfllis provided with a pair of oppositely radially offset snubbing bars l5 and d6. The fabric F passes from the rearward guide bar il around the first snubbing bar M, thence to and around the second snubbing bar llt, and thence over the forward guide bar 432, whence it passes to and over the cutting roll I. It will be obvious that by rotating the frame ,t3 and the snubbing bars 45 ,and dt, angular paths of movement of the fabric may be quickly and easily increased or decreased to correspondingly increase or decrease the snubbing effect upon the fabric, whereby to modify the ytension of the moving fabric as may, in any particular case, be desirable or necessary. Io hold the tensioning means in selected adjusted condition, the frame i3 includes a ratchet wheel 4l adapted to be releasably engaged by a holding pawl #32.

To properly hold the fabric F to that portion of the surfaceof lthe cutting vroll It! over which it is desired to be moved subject to the cutting or slitting action of the knife member or members I5, another transverse guide bar 49 kis suitably positioned between the cutting roll I!) and the traction rollers Sil-35.

Beyond the traction rollers Ell-35, ra number of suitably positioned and driven take-up reels 5t are provided to receive and wind up into rolls the ribbons or strips F into which the fabric F has been cut or slit vby the knife member or members l5.

It will be obvious that the number and widths of the ribbons or strips F', into which the fabric F will be cut or slit, is dependent upon the number of knife members i5 employed and upon the rela-tive spacing apart of said knife members upon the bolster or bridge bar `Il (see Fig. 2).

If it is desired to produce ribbons or strips `F of widths Vless than the thickness of the bodies of lthe knife members I5 and their carrier plates I2, the vknife members may be furnished with a plurality of cutting blades 21 disposed in parallelly spaced relation according to the narrowV Width of ribbons or strips desired to be produced (see Fig. '7).

It will be understood that suitable means (not shown) may be provided for raising and lowering the bolster or bridge bar I I, whereby to bring the knife members carried thereby in to and out of operative relation to the cutting roll ,-II).

The knife member or members of the apparatus, as thus far described, can well be used for cutting or slitting any kind of sheet material which is subject to cold cutting. In the cutting or slitting of piece goods. woven from threads, filaments or yarns of synthetic material, it has been found that, if cold cut, the edges of the produced ribbons or strips will easily ravel or fray, and consequently a satisfactory product is not obtained. If, however, heat is applied to the cut edges of such ribbons or strips, which is sufficient in degree, the severed ends of the cross threads or filaments of the fabric will be fused so that adjacent ends will be joined one to another, whereby to provide durable non-raveling and non-fraying selvage edges. I have found that if the knife member or members be heated to a temperature of from 890 to 900 degrees F., the desired fusing of the cut edges of the produced ribbons or strips will be effected simultaneously with the cutting or slitting of the fabric. Having these circumstances in view, the knife members of the cutting or slitting appara tus of this invention are further provided with means for heating the same to a temperature which will cause the desired fusing of the raw edges of the ribbons or strips F' as produced by the cutting or slitting action thereof, whereby to provide said ribbons or strips with non-raveling and non-fraying selvage edges S (see Fig. 8)

The heating means for the knives, according to this invention, comprises one or more electrical heating elements 5! which are imbedded in one or more bores or chambers 52 disposed to extend longitudinally through the body of each knife member l5. supply operating current to the heating elements 5i, are connected with said heating elements at the rearward end of the body of the knife member l5 so as to deliver current thereto from a suitable source. Said conductors 53 are preferably carried in a cable 54 which is supported in connection with the body of the knife member l5 by means of a carrying bracket or clip 55 which is affixed to and which projects from the rear end of the knife member.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A knife member adapted to be pivotally mounted and spring pressed toward a backing -roll of fabric slitting apparatus, said knife member having an upwardly open longitudinal seating slot in its top portion, one end of said slot opening outwardly from the free end of the knife The service conductors 53, which member, a detachable cutting blade disposed in said seating slot, said blade having notched ends, a oss-pin bridging the seating slot with which the inner notched end of the blade is engageable, a coupling clip having an angular tang to engage the outer notched end of the blade, and means to detachabiy affix said coupling clip to the free end of the knife member, whereby to rigidly hold the blade in operative assembled relation to said knife member.

2. A knife member adapted to be pivetally mounted and spring pressed toward a backing roll of fabric slitting apparatus, said knife member having an upwardly open longitudinal seating slot in its top portion, one end of said slot open ing outwardly from the free end of the knife member, a detachable cutting blade disposed in said seating slot, said blade having notched ends, a cross-pin bridging the seating slot with which the inner notched end of the blade is engageable, a coupling clip having an angular tang to engage the outer notched end of the blade, means to detachably afx said coupling clip to the free end of the knife member, whereby to rigidly hold the blade in operative assembled relation to said knife member, and electrical heating means imbedded in the knife member for heating the blade assembled therewith.

JOSEPH M. VOLPI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the die of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,492 Marshall Aug. 17, 1886 936,871 Dunton Oct. 12, 1999 1,248,327 Rusterholz Nov. v13, 1917 1,283,462 Board Nov. 5, 1918 1,608,789 Good Nov. 30, 1926` 1,616,424 Wheaton Feb. 1, 1927 1,724,208 Lewis Aug. 13, 1929 1,751,575 Davidson et al Mar. 25, 1939 2,114,272 Temple Apr. 12, 1938 2,251,282 Huizeng Aug.. 5, 1941 2,287,398 Taylor June 123, 1942 2,437,295 Eastwood Mar. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS i Number Country Date 229,846 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1944 

